4 WESTERN LEADER, JANUARY 6, 2011
NEWS
Find out more: phone 09 355 3553
or visit www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz
Auckland Transport and
NZ Police wish you a safe
holiday season.
As you plan parties to celebrate
with friends and family,
remember to:
• serve alcohol responsibly or not at all
• encourage your guests to stay
in control
• provide substantial food, not just snacks
• provide low or non-alcoholic drinks
• supervise young people if they are
around alcohol
• keep an eye on how much your guests
are drinking
• arrange safe transport for your guests
or somewhere for them to stay.
AT.10/1012
Have a safe
holiday season
Travel the South Island on our privately chartered
train and see stunning scenery not viewed from the
road. Rail travel includes the length of the
Southern Main Trunk -- Bluff to Picton, the scenic
West Coast line Westport to Greymouth through
the Buller Gorge, TranzAlpine route through
the Alps and Taieri Gorge Train.
15 days departs 27 April 2011
South Island Rail Tour
Escorted Coach Tours
South Island Coach Tour
Discover the South Island's early heritage and see
some of New Zealand's most stunning scenery.
South Canterbury, Otago, Southland & Mt Cook.
Includes return flights to Christchurch.
Optional: Ellerslie Flower Show
11 days departs 28 February 2011
Explore the diversity of the Wild South with its
rugged & wind swept coastlines of the Catlins to
the pristine beauty of Stewart Island. Includes 2
nights in the Catlins & 3 nights on Stewart Island
9 days departs 22 March 2011
Stewart Island & Catlins
Get off the beaten track, discover the East Cape
& Pacific Coast with its rocky coastlines & sandy
beaches. See the lighthouse on NZ's most easterly
point. Includes Hicks Bay, Gisborne & Napier.
8 days departs 17 March 2011
East Cape & Pacific Coast
For further information phone Shavourn
Twilight Travel & Tours
Phone 0800 999 887 or
(09) 478 5424
www.twilighttravel.co.nz
TAANZ Bonded Travel Agent
A member of the Travel Managers Group
Tours include pick up from home
Contact Toby Beadle
09 835 1172, or 027 4456 568
Email: toby_b@xtra.co.nz
114 Mountain Road
Henderson Valley Waitakere
AUCKLAND MOTORCYCLE
SERVICES
Servicing all major
brands:
Onroad, Offroad, Scooters
and ATVs
Insurance work, parts,
tyres
and accessories
SPECIAL!!
Mention this ad and
receive a basic service
for only $60
plus oil and filter
3367455AD
Weekly clinics held at our St Lukes Clinic
For more information please call WONS, Nursing,
Education & Health Promotion Services
on 846 7886 ext 0.
FREE Cervical Smear
Clinics
**No appointments necessary. Certain criteria applies**
The WONS mobile cervical screening van will be
onsite on the following dates and venues:
Wednesday 12th & Friday 21st January
Henderson Work & Income Offce (carpark)
36-44 Sel Peacock Drive, Henderson
Van onsite from 9:30am - 3pm
Monday 17th & Tuesday 18th January
Glenmall Work & Income Offce (carpark)
20 Oates Road, Glen Eden
Van onsite from 9:30am - 3pm
Powering ahead with a passion for music
Indie style: Powertool Records founder Andrew Maitai.
Photo: STEPHEN FORBES
By STEPHEN FORBES
Powertool Records boss
Andrew Maitai was
playing drums with the
group Joed Out nine
years ago when he
wanted to release some
of the band s material.
He was the owner of a
powertool shop in New
Lynn at the time and
had been running the
business for 17 years,
but was looking for a
change. So he decided to
start his own record
label -- Powertool
Records.
It really just started
out as a vehicle to mar-
ket Joed Out s music, he
says.
Powertool Records
first release was a 2001
EP by the band
Floorshow.
Eventually, Andrew
had to make a decision
on whether to continue
with his shop or focus on
the record company.
I found I just didn t
have time for both, he
says.
He chose the music.
Andrew describes the
label s sound as indie
alternative,
which
reflects some of his
influences.
He says New Zealand s
own Flying Nun Records
is a major inspiration to
him.
Started by Roger
Shepherd in 1981, the
independent label signed
bands like The Clean,
Straitjacket Fits, The
Bats, Headless Chickens
and JPS Experience.
Through persistence and
some old-fashioned hard
work Flying Nun took
the sound of Dunedin to
the world.
I ve always been
passionate about music,
Andrew says. And I
thought by starting a
label I could make things
move.
In 2003, Powertool
Records released Here
Come the Bullet Holes --
a compilation of different
artists. That s when I
decided I could do more
with the label than just
Joed Out, Andrew says.
Seven years on,
Powertool Records has
just marked a major
milestone -- its 100th
release. Called PT 100:
Powertool Records Retro-
spective, the double
album represents the
best of the label s
releases.
Andrew staged a con-
cert at the Kings Arms to
celebrate the occasion
with Bill Direen and The
Bilders, Sandra Bell and
his band Surf Friends.
The group completed a
20-date tour of New Zea-
land last year.
These days the label
has a wide range of
artists on its books,
including Bats frontman
and Flying Nun stalwart
Robert Scott, The
Puddle, Bill Direen and
The Bilders and Mat-
thew Bannister from the
Sneaky Feelings.
The label s catalogue is
now available as far
afield as Germany and
the United States.
Andrew also hosts a
Wednesday night show
on Kiwi FM called Outer
Space.
I get guest artists on
and invite them to
choose a playlist of Kiwi
music and discuss why
they chose those tracks.
He says the station is
where a lot of bands and
artists first get airplay
and he loves its 100
percent Kiwi format.
Big effort
by students
The generosity of Auck-
land school kids will put
smiles on the faces of
their Canterbury coun-
terparts affected by the
Christchurch earth-
quake.
The Auckland Primary
Principals Association
gave the Canterbury Pri-
mary Principals Associ-
ation a cheque for
$40,000 last month. It
was the result of
fundraising efforts by
children at 70 schools
across the region.
APPA executive officer
Alison Smith says she
never dreamed the fund
would go as high as it
did.
I was expecting about
half of what was raised.
But kids are like that.
They have an inbuilt
sense of what is right
and wrong and what is
fair when something
happens to other kids.
CPPA president Den-
ise Torrey says Canter-
bury principals were
overwhelmed by the gen-
erosity of the Auckland
children, who held cake
stalls and coin trails, as
well as events.
Children at one school
even wore pyjamas all
day -- perhaps in recog-
nition of the timing of
the earthquake.
Decisions will be made
in the new year about
how the money will be
distributed.
Any more donations
received will be passed
on to the Pike River
Miners fund.